Nobel laureate Navi Pillay criticises US sanctions against ICC

Navi Pillay, the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and a former International Criminal Court judge, has opposed US sanctions against the tribunal. In an interview with tagesschau, she said punishing judges for their decisions was shocking.

Pillay questioned unilateral sanctions imposed by a country that is not a member of the court. She expressed confidence in the institution where she served for five and a half years and pointed to European support for it.

Washington announced sanctions against the ICC as an organisation on October 9, citing its objections to the court’s actions, including proceedings affecting American nationals. The tribunal condemned the measures as an attack on the rule of law and the foundations of the international legal order.

Foreign ministers from Britain, Canada, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and the Netherlands also opposed the US decision. Washington had previously sanctioned court officials over investigations involving the US and its allies, including Israel. Prosecutor Karim Khan was targeted in February 2025.

Born in South Africa and of Indian descent, Pillay defended anti-apartheid activists and challenged torture during her legal career. She led the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, served as an ICC judge from 2003 to 2008 and was UN High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 to 2014. The Nobel Committee honoured her efforts to advance peace and international law.